When the butterfly emerges from the cocoon, it transforms itself. Having a positive impact on the artists we work with and audiences who watch us in end is our goal.
Cindy Heen is a dedicated dancer who has committed her life to the art form. She earned her BA and Minor in Dance from the University of Central Florida in 2013, followed by an MFA in Dance and Choreography from Mills College in Oakland, CA in 2018.
Currently, Cindy's passion for dance shines through her diverse involvement in the field. As a devoted educator, she shares her knowledge and expertise as a dance Professor at UCF and DSC, and as a dance instructor at University Performing Arts Centre. Additionally, Cindy serves as a judge and teacher with Sheer Elite International, enriching the dance community with her insights.
Her creativity extends to choreography, with her work gracing numerous studios, competitions, and concerts. Notably, Cindy recently set a contemporary piece at Rollins College and contributed several pieces to the UCF Dance Concerts.
As the artistic director of Emergence Dance, Cindy leads her own professional dance company, producing and directing full-length works that captivate audiences. She also curates the annual Emergence Dance Festival, providing a platform to showcase emerging choreographers.
Cindy's entrepreneurial spirit is evident in her creation of Dance Buddy, a line of self-care tools tailored for dancers, reflecting her belief in holistic well-being for optimal performance.
Cindy's performance career spans various esteemed companies, including SeaWorld, Santa Clara Ballet, Dawn Branch Works, Vixen Talent Productions, and Emotions Dance, among others. Her dedication to education and advocacy for the arts remains unwavering. Through her endeavors, she embodies the belief that empowering artists and nurturing their well-being are essential facets of her life's purpose.
Emergence Dance, founded in 2017 by Cindy Heen in San Francisco, CA, is now based in Orlando. Dedicated to the transformative power of movement, our humanistic approach emphasizes technique, experiential awareness, and ritual practice. Our performances aim to spark spiritual and emotional catharsis, fostering community and individual expression. As a professional dance company, we prioritize versatility, passion, and uniqueness in our performers. Through original productions like the Emergence Dance Festival, Dream, Oasis: A Fresh Summer Series, and monthly master classes, we've become a leader in Central Florida's dance scene, with our works reaching audiences worldwide.
Catherine Linder began dancing in Kissimmee, Florida at the age of 11. Throughout the years she trained in ballet, jazz, musical theater, contemporary, and hip hop. She has been teaching and choreographing within Central Florida for 7 years. She has a strong passion for serving her community through arts education. She previously worked as the Community Enrichment Coordinator with Orlando Ballet. Catherine is in her fifth season
Cambria Evans is a Doctor of Physical Therapy by trade, but lives and breathes to dance! Cambria has been trained in theater, dance, and vocal arts since childhood. Early credits include Little Women, High School Musical, Bye-Bye Birdie, and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. She later received her bachelors of science at University of Florida while simultaneously working on a minor in dance. Through college she performed in the annual showcases with the UF dance program as well as choreographed and performed several of her own works for church. Since moving to Orlando, she has performed with New Element Dance Company, ESOR Jamaican Dance Company Seasons 2015, 2016, and 2017, and Dawn Branch Works production of Eden 2019, and 2020 and at Creative City Festival with David Gabriel in 2018 and Aretuza Ballerina Project in 2019.
Arianna Fleischman is a versatile dancer, model, and magician who began her dance journey at the age of four. Over the years, she has performed with renowned companies like Milwaukee Ballet, Fort Wayne Ballet, and United Ballet Theatre, showcasing her artistry across various stages. Known for her grace and strength, she seamlessly blends classical ballet technique with modern performance styles, captivating audiences with every move. Alongside her dance career, [Name] has pursued modeling and magic, adding a unique flair to her creative portfolio. She is very excited to return to Emergence this season.
Heaven Rosignol is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher that grew up in lake county Florida. She started her love of dance at the age of 8 at Studio 19. Heaven has studied many different styles of dance including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, contemporary, and hip-hop. During her training she has crossed paths with various choreographers and companies including Jon Lehrer, Modas Dance, Movement Dance Company, Dawn Branch, Carolyn Dorfman, Marshall Ellis Elite Ballet, Nick Gonzalez, and The Nexxt Move. Heaven is currently training and is continuing to pursue her dream of moving to the city to choreograph and perform in concert and commercial dance.
Toria Gobel began her dance journey in Milan, IN. She graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dance, Performance and Choreography at Ohio University in 2022. Toria’s studies include pedagogy, Laban Movement Analysis, modern, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, ballet, African dance, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and some Kinesiology. She currently is a dancer with Emergence Dance Company in Orlando, FL. Her passion and training has allowed her to pursue dance in many aspects and areas such as competitive dance and stage dance while also spreading her love for dance with others.
An Indiana native, she began her ballet training under Suzann Delay. She earned a degree in Ballet with an outside field in Kinesiology from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music under the direction of Michael Vernon and the late Violette Verdy. She danced three seasons with Ballet Theatre of Indiana, performing in ballets such as Giselle (Giselle) and Sarah Farnsley’s Absolution. Her last several Decembers have been filled performing in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Celebration as a dancer and featured artist. Megan has also performed with groups such as Ballet Initiative and Crossroads Dance Indy around central Indiana. Megan is thrilled to continue her dancing in Orlando in her first season with Emergence Dance Company.
Lauren Theriault is an Orlando-based dancer and choreographer. She grew up immersed in the arts and began her dance training at the age of 13. Lauren attended Palm Beach Atlantic University and has degrees in Graphic Design & Dance Performance & Choreography. While she was there, she trained under the direction of Eileen Hebron (former Corps member with American Ballet Theatre), as well as Jin Hanley, Ivy Platt, and other internationally known modern and ballet dancers. Lauren has international dance experience as well as several awards, and enjoys both performing & choreographing in professional dance companies in the Orlando area, including a season with Florida Dance Theatre. She has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary and enjoys exploring the intersection of psychology, faith, & dance. She is in her second season with Emergence Dance Company, and is thrilled to participate another year.
Tiffany Forsythe, a native of Virginia began dancing at the age of 6 at the Lakewood
Dance & Music Center and continued her training at Old Donation Center for the Gifted,
Governor’s School of the Arts, In The Spotlight School of Dance where she was a
member of the Junior and Senior Dance Company, and Norfolk Academy under the
close supervision of Elbert Watson a formal principal dancer of the Alvin Ailey Dance
Company. Tiffany began her professional dance career by earning a full scholarship to George
Mason University’s School of Dance Program in Fairfax, VA and has entertained at
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Theme Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Since relocating to Orlando, FL, she has trained at The Center For Contemporary
Dance, Central Florida Ballet, Russian Ballet Orlando, and Underground Movement in
addition to performing with local dance companies including Moore Dance Project and
Dawn Branch Works. Tiffany is excited to continue her dance journey with Emergence Dance Company.
Anna Molinari began her dance journey at the age of four in South Florida. Starting her experience in competitive dance, her love for the stage grew as she began training in ballet and classical styles through high school. Anna received her Bachelors in Theatre and studied Dance at the University of Central Florida, where she was thrilled to be a part of productions, such as Oklahoma!, Iphigenia and Other Daughters, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Currently, Anna is a Dance Director and Choreographer and is thrilled to continue her work with Emergence for a second season!
Kailey Baez began dancing at the age of two in Chicago, IL. She danced competitively through high school and trained in various styles of dance. Kailey attended Valdosta State University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, with a focus in Latin Ballroom. She danced professionally for Virgin Voyages, as well as Universal Studios. When she wasn’t performing, Kailey toured with various competitions and conventions, judging and teaching around the United States. Kailey is now the Dance Director at Evans High School. She is in her first season with Emergence Dance Company and super excited for what the year holds.
Bellamy Kopesec is an Orlando-based performer who is delighted to join Emergence Dance Company for her first season! She is a senior at the University of Central Florida studying Kinesiology along with minors in Dance and Theatre. Favorite credits include: The Wild West Spectacular (Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre), 42nd Street (Osceola Arts & Circle Theatre Company), West Side Story (Celebration Theatre Company), and A Very Broadway Christmas (Broadway on the Bay). When not onstage, you can find her at the beach, hanging with her friends, or in whatever adventure God has up next. She is passionate about spreading joy through the arts! Soli Deo Gloria
Mikayla Mauree began dancing in 2005, at the age of 3 in Flagler Beach, Florida. Throughout the years she has studied in various styles with her passion being hip-hop. She has recently relocated to the city to study Theatre at University of Central Florida. She is hoping to pursue dance professionally in both concert and commercial dance.
Anneke Belman started dancing at the age of three. Once in high school, she
furthered and honed her dance training in the conservatory program at the
Charlotte Ballet. While there she also discovered a love of composition and
movement discovery. After graduating, she spent her gap year in Dayton, Ohio
working with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2. In 2019, Anneke
graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in composition from SUNY
Purchase. During her time there she served as Freshman Class Representative, worked as
Student Rehearsal assistance for Norbert de la Cruz, and co-produced Purchase Cares, a Dancer's
Responding to AIDS/Broadway Cares program, for two years. Anneke choreographed many new
works while in school, going on to earn the School of the Arts Scholarship and the Merit
Scholarship for her achievements. She enjoys focusing her works on the LGBTQ+ experience,
exploring various elements of acceptance, love, and growth. She has performed works by George
Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Mark Diamond, Jose Limon, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Patricia McBride,
and Sarah Beth Oppenheim. This is her second season with Emergence Dance Company.
Meagan has been living and breathing dance since the age of 3. She always leaned on dance to be her way of coping and letting her body express herself. She strives to be her best self, while continuing to grow more and more everyday. Meagan grew up in Orlando, while competing globally in America and Canada. She spent time moving around studios until she found Focus as her true home. From then on she was named Intrigue’s True Performer, won numerous awards for her performances, danced for festivals around Orlando and her community, performed at Orlando Magic halftime, has begun choreographing for her home studio, starred in dance storytelling videos for “Three Hearts Dance”, and took on a huge leadership role. Her favorite part of her whole dance career is being a leader and expressing her passion to younger dancers. Now, she is currently teaching and sprouting her wings in Orlando, sharing her love for dance. She is so honored to be apart of the Focus Family as a staff member and teacher, assistant, and company choreographer. She has also won multiple choreography awards, and has a background of social media marketing for Focus, and dancing/ performing with “Emergence Dance Company”. Meagan takes true pride in giving and loving her dancers, while expressing herself in performance.
Katarina Yuhas started dancing in West Palm Beach at age 8. She has trained in ballet, contemporary ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, contemporary jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip hop. She moved to Orlando in 2018 and has a minor in dance from University of Central Florida, and is finishing her Bachelor of Arts, and is currently working toward an Associate of Science in physical therapy assistance with Seminole State College. She works for University Performing Arts Centre as their office manager and a teacher.
Join Emergence Dance for an inspiring 2024-2025 season as we rise together! We’re thrilled to present a series of captivating performances, including the debut of our original work, Awaken.
All funds raised will directly support costume expenses, venue fees, marketing, insurance, artist compensation, and technical costs, including lighting design, backstage management, and sound design.
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